Rising young Peninsula singer-songwriter Richard Tichelman will be the special guest as White Rock Community Orchestra presents its springtime Strawberry Tea Concert this Saturday at 7 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church.
Tichelman will be joined by the orchestra in the folk-pop classic House of the Rising Sun – as well as highlighting some of his own compositions – in a program that will also include traditional selections and the most recent popular evolution of classical music concepts for mainstream audiences, excerpts from movie and theatre scores from such productions as Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars and Phantom of the Opera.
The June 3 performance will also showcase the increasing sophistication and showmanship of the city’s community orchestra – recently featured in performances at Semiahmoo Centre and at White Rock’s 60th Anniversary celebrations.
Musical director Paula DeWit, also co-founder and director of the Chilliwack Symphony, is no stranger to raising the profile of classical music through creative and sometimes unexpected teamings of artists and material and the approach continues to win new friends for White Rock’s orchestra by highlighting highly accessible showpieces for the instrumentalists.
Tickets (with the orchestra’s and St John’s’ customary refreshments included) are $15; children under 12 admitted free. Tickets available at the door (1480 George St.), online at wrco.ca or from 604-535-8949.